From the beginning, the founders of ICPSR believed a training component was a necessary part of the organization in order to teach researchers how to use the newly available data the consortium was providing.

The next 49 sessions of the program in many ways mirrored the growth of ICPSR as a whole — participation grew, the offerings became more diverse, and the program established itself as one of the top training centers for social scientists in the world.

In 2012, the attendance surpassed the one-thousand mark, with 1,027 participants. The program offered 75 courses.

The following year, 2013, Summer Program enrollment again hit an all-time high, at 1,044. It marked the fourth consecutive year of record enrollment. Participants came from 322 institutions in 34 countries and represented two-dozen academic disciplines. This year, 97 faculty and 41 teaching assistants offered 82 courses, seven more than in 2012. Along with the major component of the program in Ann Arbor, Michigan, additional workshops were held at:

Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec

Fordham University — Manhattan Campus

Indiana University, Bloomington

University of California at Berkeley

University of Colorado, Boulder

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

William Jacoby announced in 2013 that he was stepping down from leading the program. A search for a successor was initiated. John Garcia accepted the role of interim director.

Videos describe program's growth

In the following videos, Hank Heitowit, director of the Summer Program for 26 years, and William Jacoby, Summer Program director 2007-2013, talk about the evolution of the program over the years.

Former Summer Program Director Hank Heitowit talks about the origins of the program.

Heitowit recounts some of the changes in the program curriculum over the years.

Heitowit talks about the future of the program.

Heitowit on the long-term impact of the program.

Summer Program Director William Jacoby talks about milestones the program has achieved since he became its director.

Jacoby explains some factors that have helped the program continue to grow.